09-01-2014, 06:33 PM
My best word of advice is get up high. I have only shot 1 chukar while hiking up. They will run so fast to the top of the hill, just to jump and soar down the other side. My most successful tactic is to get to the top and listen for birds. If you hear some, great, head down on them. If not, pick out areas of cheatgrass/rock cropping you think might hold birds and hunt down on them. Chukar will generally run uphill and fly downhill. I am not saying they will never fly up or run down (they will run down), but as a general observation that is my experience. Also, I run into them quite often at the top of ridges. They will jump a couple feet in the air, and soar as far down and around as you can watch them. I usually try to shoot while they are in range, then watch where they go. Many times they will hit the ground and call to each other, and start making their way back up. I hike back to the top, and hunt down the draw I saw them land in.
Hope this helps.
They are very humbling to hunt.
I was once told that the first time you hunt chukars is for fun, and every time after that is for revenge. I believe this to be true.
As for location. I have never seen more birds than on West Mountain, but that place gets ridiculous pressure. I will hunt it for the first week or so, but after that they flush way out of range more often than not. And that place is brutal. Not that chukar hunting is every easy, but man is that mountain steep. I have heard there are birds on Lake Mountain, I would be interested in testing this theory, or at least hearing what your experience is out there.
Good Luck... Just a few more weeks
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Hope this helps.
They are very humbling to hunt.
I was once told that the first time you hunt chukars is for fun, and every time after that is for revenge. I believe this to be true.
As for location. I have never seen more birds than on West Mountain, but that place gets ridiculous pressure. I will hunt it for the first week or so, but after that they flush way out of range more often than not. And that place is brutal. Not that chukar hunting is every easy, but man is that mountain steep. I have heard there are birds on Lake Mountain, I would be interested in testing this theory, or at least hearing what your experience is out there.
Good Luck... Just a few more weeks
[signature]